How mucn LLA to use?

[xxclaro]

I'm tryingto get a handle on how much LLA to use. The bullets aren't TL bullets, but apparently that's okay. I usually put about 75 bulets in a little plastic container,and squirts some LLA on them,then swirl and jiggle tham around for a bit. Problem is, I'm not sure what they should look like when they're done. I'm always paranoid that I didn't use enough and will surely get terrible leading,so I end up adding more till the bullets get a distinctive brown tinge to them. I also lube again after sizing. Is it necessary to lube before sizing?Seems that since it all get rubbed off anyway,it's kind of a waste.

[stubshaft]

I use about 1tsp for about 150 - 255gr 45cal boolits. I swirl them around in a plastic container until they are just barely coated. Dump them out onto a sheet of waxpaper and let them dry for about 1 - 3 hours (did I mention that I thin the alox with mineral spirits 1pt min. spirit and 3pt alox). I THEN install GC, size and recoat with about the same amount of alox. You should see a hint of alox on the boolits. If the boolits look wet then you have used too much (add some more boolits). Dump out onto waxpaper and let the second coat dry. LOAD EM UP!

[dromia]

As stubshaft says I do a similar coating proceedure and thin the alox, White Label lubes sell liquid Alox at a far more friendly price than Lee BTW, I dilute my alox alittle bit more than stubshaft nearer 50 - 50.

I look for the coating to be a light golden hue on the boolit, obviously this is for boolits that aren't going to exceed around 1200 fps any thing over that and I go for stick lubes, made by guess who......... White Label. :-D

Ranch Dog has his own dipping method that you might also want to look at.

[Nora]

Is it necessary to lube before sizing?
Yes, it will help them to size without leading the inside of the die. Also to go along with what stubshaft said, rub your finger over the lubed boolits. If they don't look wet, but leave a film on your finger they have enough lube.

[hoosierlogger]

when you think you have enough on them, you have too much. Thats what I was told when I started using it.

[Bret4207]

Is it necessary to lube before sizing?Seems that since it all get rubbed off anyway,it's kind of a waste.

IMO- sometimes yes, sometimes no. It never hurts, but it's not always needed. I have some boolit and die combos that I'm only sizing maybe half a thou'. They don't need it. I size them dry because I see no sense in lubing twice. I have others that I size as much as .006. Those show much less friction if I lube them. As was said, just touching them with your fingers with a bit of lube will do it.

[44man]

I figure one bottle will rustproof the inside of one car door! :bigsmyl2:

[Shiloh]

when you think you have enough on them, you have too much. Thats what I was told when I started using it.

This is good advice.

It is suprising on how little of this stuff it takes. I cut mine a good bit with mineral spirits. Around 30% I guess. I should probably measure to keep it consistent. A thin coat is all it takes. There has never been leading issues in handguns. I can't speak for rifles, I don't use it on rifle boolits.

SHiloh

[SciFiJim]

You guys have reassured me. I tumble lubed my .45 boolits twice because I thought I didn't have enough. Can you have too much LLA on a boolit? or is extra just a waste but not harmful?

[captaint]

Plus whatever the other guys said. A little too little is better than what you see as too much. Again, don't be afraid to dilute with min spirits. I use mine 50/50 with the LLA and Johnson's Paste Wax. And you need to thin the JPW with min spirits so it will flow. I just take another bottle, put in an inch or so of LLA and then add at least that much of thinned JPW. Works great. Again, what you see as maybe too little is probably good. Anyway, what's the worst that can happen? Live & learn brother. Mike

[Shiloh]

You guys have reassured me. I tumble lubed my .45 boolits twice because I thought I didn't have enough. Can you have too much LLA on a boolit? or is extra just a waste but not harmful?

It is not harmful unless it is well over-done. If used in handguns it will mean extra cleaning of feed ramps and magazines. it will gum up extractors as well. It seems to work its wasy into crevices if too heavy. This has been my experience anyway

Too much will mean a little harder filling the cylinders of wheelguns as it will stick to the cylinder chambers. Learned this the hard way many years ago. It seems to coat the outside of wheelguns cylinders and frames with a fine film of residue. Very noticeable on Stainless.

Shoot what you have lubed, then cut back on the application. A thin coat only. Many try to fill the TL grooves. This is WAY too much!!

Shiloh

[hammerhead357]

Not to hijack this thread but I needed some unsized 357 boolits so I pan lubed them with LBT lube and then I just dipped them in LLA up to about the top of the lube groove. I have shot about 10 of them and they seemed to group a little better in the Handi rifle I was using. Is this overkill as far as using two lubes? I am not a regular user of LLA so I am not familiar with it. Oh it was not cut with mineral spirits just straight....Wes

[geargnasher]

When I first started using LLA I used it straight, coated before and after sizing, and attempted to get as much in the loob grooves as possible. After recovering fired boolits and examining them and fixing the leading problem that was not related to lube I shoot most boolits unsized and lube once---very light coat which usually doesn't even get in the grooves. The thing is, the stuff doesn't flow out of the grooves like stick or pan lubes do, it just stays put on the bases and grooves so if it is getting there it is just wasted. Your milage may vary, but if all other factors are right just one light coat does it and no leading.

Gear